You Asked For It

Carol Manskers of Nashville wants some tips for making meringue. “I never seem to have as much as I would like for pies!” she states.Carol, first of all, make sure you are using a recipe that includes both sugar and cream of tartar. Sugar helps stabilize the egg whites and the cream of tartar adds volume. Also, don’t overbeat the whites. They should appear shiny and moist with an obvious sheen. Then, when you spread over the pie filling, seal to the edges in order to prevent shrinkage.

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I have spent the summer babying my backyard tomato plants, and now I am being awarded the end-of-season trophy for all that work ... green tomatoes! Naturally, I’ll have to fry some of the pickings, but the majority will be cooked down into a lovely relish that I’ll use on hot dogs, on top of pinto beans and in tuna, chicken and egg salads.

Green tomatoes are more than versatile, and I love the nice long shelf life they give me once the harvest has started. All summer long, I’ve been rushing around like crazy to manage my red wonders. Now, time is my friend because the fruits are picked while still immature. In fact, they will feel as hard as rocks and can be kept at room temperature as they slowly get used. Just place them away from direct sunlight with the stem end up for the longest-lasting results.

If you have a lot of green tomatoes, you might notice the color start to move from totally green to pink or light red. The tomatoes are still not ripe, so you can use them in any recipe calling for green tomatoes. You can keep rock-hard green tomatoes for at least a couple of weeks before they will turn in color.

They will have a noticeable lack of moisture or juice, which makes them great for using in thick ketchups, salsas and marmalades. It is also why those slices that are going to be fried need to be dipped in an egg bath in order for the cornmeal crust to stick.

If you want to fry your harvest, make sure you have the oil good and hot before adding the first slices. I usually have mine between 360 and 375 degrees and use canola oil. A cast-iron skillet is simply a must!

For those who don’t have backyard plants, head to your local farmers market for a great selection until our first frost.